LampFall 2011 a publicationPost of The Lamplighter School | Dallas, Texas Report of Annual Giving 2010 -2011 Mattingly Dream Makers A photo essay on Fiji, page 10. • ALSO INSIDE: READ ALL ABOUT WHAT YOUR FRIENDS ARE UP TO IN “ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT.” PAGE 14. BulletinBoard Lamp Post Fall 2011 Lamplighter Events All-School Program December 10, 2011 Managing Editor Edward Ritenour, Director of Communications & Marketing LPA Snow Day Auction Social January 21, 2012 Art/Design Ana Bohanan, Communications | Design Coordinator Dolores Evans Speaker Series – Carol Dweck January 30, 2012 Contributors Alumni Days Sandy Diamond, Sheila McCartor, Hilary Jenkins, and February 8 - 10, 2012 Jacquelyn Wilcox Spirit Award Luncheon Mission Statement February 10, 2012 Lamplighter is a nurturing, child-centered community built on academic and personal excellence, trust, and respect LPA Auction Gala for diversity in each other and in our society. Lamplighter February 25, 2012 inspires lifelong learners who are self-confident, self-reliant, and creative, critical thinkers. Grandest Friends’ Day March 23, 2012 Diversity Statement LPA Auction Dads’ Poker Night Social Diversity will strengthen the education of Lamplighter March 30, 2012 children and enrich the lives of all members of the Lamplighter community. Lamplighter will, therefore, strive International Night for the lamps that we light to reflect the ever-changing April 12, 2012 community in which we reside. We value individuality and encourage all children to reach their potential, while Barneys Moms’ Night Out – LPA Auction Social respecting their similarities and differences. We are April 19, 2012 united in purpose and committed to working together to accomplish the mission of The Lamplighter School. Dolores Evans Speaker Series - Tom Kelley May 1, 2012 If you are interested in becoming a member of Lamplighter’s Diversity Work Group, please contact Matt LPA Auction Jamaican Dinner Social Brenner, Director of Admission and Community Services, May 5, 2012 at 214.369.9201. The group meets several times throughout Senior Opera the school year to support the school’s diversity efforts. May 18, 2012 Non-Discrimination Statement Young Alumni Carwash In compliance with federal and state laws, The Lamplighter May 19, 2012 School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, national or ethnic origin, age, marital Senior Graduation Hootenanny status, sexual orientation, or disability in administration May 21, 2012 of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid program, athletic and other school-administered programs, or the employment of staff. Contact Us Send story ideas to Edward Ritenour (eritenour@ thelamplighterschool.org). Deadline for articles, photographs, and news for the next issue (Spring 2012) is February 1, 2012. 2 LAMPPOST What’sInside 4 10 “The Other Side of Fiji” Pre-K teacher Debbie Herskovitz spent 15 days in Fiji this past summer volunteering for Global Habitat for Humanity, building a home for a local family. Departments Head Lines 4 8 On Board 5 Campus News 8 Cover Story 10 Focus 14 Alumni Spotlight 18 Around the Barn 19 Annual Report 21 8 19 LAMPPOST 3 HeadLines There is nothing like the beginning of a new school year! This fall season has been wonderful. During my first few months as Head of School, I have spent time meeting and engaging in good conversations about the school with students, parents, grandparents, Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff about our school. From the first day of school, during Carnival, and through the Halloween picnic, I have enjoyed talking with you and especially meeting your sons and daughters. ur Lamplighter students are amazing homework, grading everything that is written Lamplighter faculty believes that each child young people. They are curious, and testing every new concept, are sure-fire has unique gifts that deserve to be supported Ointerested in learning and love ways to diminish enthusiasm for learning. At and enhanced in school. The plain truth of school! As I think about what makes first, students may enjoy striving for the sticker; the matter is that every child starts from a Lamplighter special, I want to share five points but over a period of time, without a balanced different place, and at the end of formal that I believe make The Lamplighter School a approach to teaching, extrinsically motivated schooling every young adult will be going to phenomenal place to learn and grow. children become point grubbers interested a different place. Lamplighter honors the only in the grade. The Lamplighter way is individuality of each child in the formative First, Lamplighter is a school that attends to different. Our students come into school years. There is no better gift! the whole child. The faculty is a dedicated, each day intrinsically motivated. They want to caring team of professional educators. They learn because learning new things is fun. In It is a pleasure to lead this marvelous school. are focused on assisting each child develop this age of high-stakes testing, Lamplighter is Going forward, we will be working together to habits of mind. More than teaching facts, counter-cultural and it is refreshing. enhance our school through a strategic they are particularly skilled in teaching visioning process. Every member of the children how to learn. This metacognitive The fourth observation I have made as a Lamplighter community will be invited to approach to teaching makes children aware of newcomer is that Lamplighter teachers teach participate. Be assured that the enhancements their own thinking. Methods used by faculty for deep understanding. Children approach will build on the strong Lamplighter tradition distinguish Lamplighter from other schools. learning with a sense of wonder and a desire and mission that the founders, Natalie Murray At Lamplighter, children construct knowledge to learn. The interdisciplinary curriculum is and Sandy Swain, intended. Our goal is to through an interdisciplinary curriculum; this thoughtfully planned and structured well. We continue to strengthen our school as we build approach encourages lifelong learning and a know that we cannot teach everything so the and plan for the future. willingness to embrace difficult tasks rather curriculum is intentionally narrow and deep than shying away from challenges. Learning which gives students time for exploration Please take time to review the outstanding new things is fun! during their foundational years. All too often, performance of the community provided in schools make the mistake of offering a the annual report. Thank you very much for Second, the words “The Lamplighter School” curriculum that is broad and shallow. A lot is your continued support of our amazing and “community” are interchangeable. covered but in the end, students only have a school, its faculty, its programs, and of course, Children learn from and with each other. few isolated facts that can quickly be forgotten. its children. That is the hallmark of a caring community. When students are taught for deep under- Each week it is so heartening to see grandpar- standing, they learn how things are connected, On lighting a lamp: ents and parents participating in their child’s they see patterns, and they learn how to Fuel the lamp with a world of information… education. Reading to children, helping with generalize and replicate what they know. Find the spark of curiosity and feed it well… tours, organizing the Friday lunch program, Lamplighter teaches for deep understanding. Set the wick high and let the flame burn free assisting in the Media Center and attending in a happy, open place fun events like the Lamplighter Socials and Last, our school takes children seriously. We Enough lamps and we can light the earth the Auction are just a few of the ways in which know that childhood is a special time that is parents demonstrate their commitment to over too fast. Lamplighter children are – Anonymous ensuring that we have a strong and vibrant engaged in ways that have relevance to them. Sincerely school community. Our school has a special way of capturing their attention and imagination. Children have a Third, Lamplighter students are intrinsically chance to experience concepts that are being motivated. Conventional practices that are taught first-hand, and then they are discussed Joan Buchanan Hill common in other schools, like over-assigning at different times and in creative ways. Head of School 4 LAMPPOST OnBoard “We are who we are because of all of you.” Dear Lamplighter Community, Joan, but a sincere desire to help make the next chapter for our school a truly We have hit the ground running this year amazing one. with so many important initiatives already in progress. The most exciting news is the Second, we continue to be focused on the addition of our new Head of School, Mrs. financial stability of the school. We Joan Buchanan Hill. She has settled into approach this goal in many ways. The her new home with ease, and it seems as if Annual Fund and Auction are two of the What can you do to help us achieve she has always been a part of Lamplighter. most important endeavors in helping us our goals? close the gap in our annual operating The Board of Trustees is focused on budget. As you all know, we were • Continue to open your arms to Joan three priorities this year. First, we hold afforded the incredible opportunity to Hill and offer her constructive input, ourselves responsible for ensuring a purchase our land from Hockaday almost when appropriate. You can even let smooth transition for our new Head of two years ago. Through the leadership of her know when things are going great! School into the Lamplighter community Kirsten Kerrigan and the steering commit- as well as the larger Dallas community. tee and Sandy Diamond in the Develop- • Make your pledge to the Annual We are fortunate to have Joan who wants ment Office, we continue our targeted Fund and join us for another great to make a difference in our children’s efforts to retire the mortgage on our land.